Max Verstappen dethroned Lewis Hamilton to be the new Formula 1 World Champion back in 2021. It was an epic showdown in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that year. Although Mercedes had won the constructor title, the driver’s title was still up for grabs in the final race of that season. That’s what the Dutch racer took away from the then-reigning champion. Since then, the Red Bull superstar has not looked back. He went on to three back-to-back Driver’s World Championships. Max broke several records in the last three years. Moreover, the Dutch racer has already become the third most successful racer in the sport in terms of Grand Prix wins. Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are still ahead of Max Verstappen.
Moreover, the Mercedes superstar is the only racer on the grid with more than 100 GP wins. In fact, he is the only F1 racer of all time to do that. However, the most successful racer in F1 had been struggling to win a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Hamilton and Mercedes had been dealing with several issues regarding the car. Even in 2024, things were looking to go downhill for the Silver Arrows. However, in the first sprint race of 2024, Lewis Hamilton surprised everybody with a great performance. But again it was Max Verstappen who didn’t let the great Briton win the sprint race.
How Max Verstappen Went Past Lewis Hamilton To Win The 2024 Chinese Sprint?
At the end of the sprint race in Shanghai, the pole sitter Lando Norris had a disappointing fall. The McLaren driver had a P6 finish in the end. Moreover, Sergio Perez of Red Bull managed to finish at P3. It was an exciting and action-packed sprint race. Fans must be glad after the way the first sprint race of 2024 panned out. Moreover, it was exciting for the fans to see Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen had another go at each other on the track. The veteran driver almost won the sprint race. But then the current reigning F1 champion came back strong.
As he pounced on a mistake of Hamilton to get closer to the rear wing of Mercedes W15. Eventually, Max Verstappen slid through to take the lead and win the first sprint of the season in Shanghai. Finally, Hamilton had to be happy with a P2 finish in the sprint. Lewis made a mistake at the hairpin, and with the help of DRS, Max took the lead at Turn 14 on Lap nine. Finally, it was just a clear air ahead of Verstappen and within the space of a lap, the Dutchman managed to put two seconds between him and Hamilton.
Exciting Sprint Race In China This Year
It was business as usual for Max Verstappen, who won the Chinese sprint quite comfortably. In the end, he had an easy 12-second advantage over Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion finished at P2 after a long time. On the other hand, Sergio Perez managed a podium finish at P3. The two Ferrari drivers were pretty fast in the sprint as well.
Charles Leclerc finished at P4, whereas his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished at P5. Then came McLaren’s Lando Norris at P6. However, George Russell of Mercedes eventually finished in eighth place. During the race, Fernando Alonso had quite a few contests against Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz Jr. However, a puncture, possibly after contact with Sainz, put Alonso out of the sprint race in Shanghai.
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